CSI: Hope and Salvation
by Maria-Elric05
Summary: Grissom hires a new CSI to fill in for Sara. She seems to fit right in with the team but why do she and the youngest CSI 3 appear so friendly with one another? And what hidden memories does this newest colleagues past hold? Will all be revealed in time?
1. The Newbie

**CSI: Crime Scene Investigation**

_"Hope and Salvation"_

Summary: This story takes places around season 10 (I know, it hasn't started yet so shoot me) but in my universe, Warrick isn't dead. He is framed for Gedda's murder and the team does get him off but instead of it happening the way it did in For Gedda, when Nick invites him out for drinks he accepts it and that probably would have saved his life in my opinion. Anyway, Grissom hires a new CSI to fill in for Sara. She seems to fit right in with the team but why do she and the youngest CSI 3 appear so friendly with one another? And what hidden memories does this newest colleagues past hold? Will all be revealed in time?

Characters: Catherine Willows, Warrick Brown, Nick Stokes, Greg Sanders, Captain Jim Brass, Coroner Doctor Al Robbins, Assistant Coroner David Phillips, DNA Tech Wendy Simms, Toxicology Tech Henry Andrews, Fingerprint Analysist Mandy Webster and my character, CSI Level Three Leila Tompkins...

Warnings: This story does contain some abuse and mentionings of non-consensual sex. Read this at your own risk. You have been warned.

Author's note: I am re-writing my fics for my character, Leila Tompkins. I have had someone tell me that they couldn't follow the story because they found the character too confusing so I decided to re-write the stories to see if maybe it makes more sense but my others will stay posted so enjoy both. Please review as I post each chapter as I write.

* * *

A young woman stood at the receptionist's desk, waiting patiently for the Las Vegas Crime Lab's night shift supervisor. The supervisor, Gil Grissom, had called to offer her a job as a CSI on his team and she happily accepted. She had been a CSI in San Francisco, California for the past six years and had been trying to move to Las Vegas to be near her godfather but there had been no open positions she wanted, at least until now. She now stood in the second best lab in the world, holding her handbooks and department issued cell phone, waiting for her new boss.

"Leila Tompkins I presume." said a male voice behind her.

"You presume correctly Mr. Gil Grissom." said Leila as she turned around to face her new boss with a smile.

"Hello Leila. Nice to see you and good to have you join the team." said Grissom.

"You too, and thank you for letting me." said Leila.

"My pleasure. Now, why don't I show you around." said Grissom, heading down the hall with Leila walking in stride beside him as they walked. He showed her DNA lab where she met the tech Wendy Simms, the Trace lab where she, unfortunately, met David Hodges, the A/V lab where she met Archie Johnson, the Tox lab where she met Henry Andrews, the Ballistics lab where she met Bobby Dawson, and the Fingerprint lab where she met Mandy Webster.

When they got to the break room, there were three other individuals gathered in it. Leila couldn't believe her eyes when she recognized one of the guys.

"Greg?"

The youngest team member turned to the voice and saw the woman before them.

"Leila? Is that really you?" asked Greg as he stood up.

"Yeah. Oh my...it's so good to see you." said Leila as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Greg hugged her back, getting a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"It's good to see you too. I've missed you." he said.

"I've missed you too." said Leila, not wanting to let go.

The others could only watch on in silence and confusion. Nick broke the silence by clearing his throat loudly, making Greg and Leila pull apart quickly but they still remained standing close.

"So G, care to fill us all in?" asked Nick.

"Oh, sorry. Leila, this is Nick, Warrick and Catherine. Guys, this is Leila. The two of us met back in college and been friends ever since. We just haven't seen each other in about ten years though." said Greg.

"Why not?" asked Catherine.

"Long story. A very long story." said Leila.

"Which we don't have time for. Leila is joining our team so you all will have time to get to know her later, for those who don't already." said Grissom, looking at Greg as he said the last part. "Now, assignments." he said, handing out assignment slips.

Leila looked at hers when Grissom handed it to her.

"Decomp? My first night and you're giving me a decomp?" she asked.

"Greg's going with you. Have him do the dirty work." said Grissom before he took off.

"And listen to him whine and gripe the rest of the night? I don't think so. Besides, I don't mind doing the dirty work every now and then." said Leila, heading out of the break room.

Greg started to follow her but stopped when his friends called him back.

"Hey Greggo." said Warrick, the one making Greg stop.

"You know, she seems like more than just a friend." said Nick.

"Yeah. Seems more like an old girlfriend." said Catherine.

"He wishes." said Leila, poking her head back in. "More like old friends with benefits."

"Really?" asked Warrick.

"Yep. You're looking at the girl who he lost his virginity to." said Leila, smiling confidently. "Coming Sanders?" she asked, turning around and heading back down the hall.

"In more ways than one!" she heard Nick yell behind her.

Leila couldn't help but smile, shaking her head. She knew that she would be getting teased later.

"You're gonna be the death of me." said Greg as he caught up with her.

After shift, Leila went out to eat with the others. They sat listening to her tales of Greg back in college and some of the things they used to do together. Then the team took turns telling stories about Greg during his days as a DNA tech and becoming a CSI.

"I'm not surprised to hear that he put on a showgirl headdress and danced in the halls." said Leila.

"Why? Has he done worse?" asked Catherine.

"Not really. Well, my sister was a big fan of Elvis. I tried to get a good Elvis impersonator to come perform for her birthday one year but I couldn't. I was so upset. I really wanted to do something special for her. So Greg over here, after seeing how upset I was, dressed up as the King himself and even performed for my sister. I'm telling you, he could have given most of those Elvis impersonators a run for their money, he was that good." said Leila.

"Aww, I bet that really made your sister's day." said Catherine.

"It did. Made mine too. I didn't even know he was gonna do it 'til he walked out. I think I was the only one who realized that it was him." said Leila.

"Well, it was really sweet of him." said Catherine.

"Yeah." said Leila, taking a drink of her orange juice. She heard the conversation drift elsewhere but she wasn't paying attention. Her mind was elsewhere.

Flashback

_Leila sat in her dorm room, reading a book and listening to music coming from her stereo nearby. She had been sitting in there for hours, alone. Her roommate was off elsewhere, probably with his girlfriend. She had been lucky to find a college that was co-ed and allowed guys to bunk with girls, which most of the guys bunked with other guys. Leila had bunked with this guy because they had met the first day and bonded almost immediately. They had been good friends ever since but she couldn't help but feel jealous. She knew that the girl that her roommate was currently seeing was not good enough for him. She didn't even treat him the way he should be treated. She tried to control him and walk all over him. She knew he deserved better._

_Just then, the door to her room opened and in came her roommate, who seemed to be upset._

_"Greg, what happened?" asked Leila, placed the bookmark in her book where she had been reading and turned off her stereo as she got up and moved toward her friend._

_"She dumped me. Kristy dumped me." said Greg._

_"What? Why? What happened?" asked Leila, concern for him._

_"Well, we were in her room making out like usual. Only this time she wanted to take things further and I didn't. When I made her stop, she asked me why." said Greg._

_"Greg, tell me you didn't. Tell me you didn't tell her that you're still a virgin._" _said Leila._

_Greg bashfully looked down at the floor._

_"Oh Greg. That makes the fifth girl this year. You have to stop doing this to yourself. You are never gonna be able to keep a girlfriend if you keep this up." said Leila._

_"I'm gonna be the laughing stock of this whole school. Everyone is gonna be laughing at me. I'm gonna be the momma's boy who'll never get laid." said Greg as he paced the room._

_"Okay, first you need to sit down." said Leila, grabbing his wrists and making him sit down next to her on the bed. "And you need to calm down. You just need some experience."_

_"How can I do that when every girl I date dumps me when I tell them?" asked Greg._

_"Well, here's a good way to solve that. Don't tell them. Most girls want a guy they know can please them but if they don't know if you can or can't, the mystery makes it that much more enticing. And not every girl is the same. You can't please every girl the exact same way. And some are harder to please the others." said Leila._

_"How will I even know if I am?" asked Greg._

_"Okay, you're lack of confidence is your main problem. Girls love it when a guy has confidence but when we sense that you don't have any, than you're not gonna stand a chance." said Leila._

_"Great." muttered Greg._

_Leila felt bad for him. She knew that she needed to help him or he was never going to be able to keep a girlfriend._

_"Kiss me." she told him._

_Greg looked at her confused._

_"What?" he asked._

_"You need experience but you're not gonna get any if you keep telling girls you're a virgin. Besides, wouldn't you rather get some experience with your best friend rather that some strange girl? Wouldn't it be better to get it from someone you trust?" asked Leila._

_Greg saw the understanding in her words and knew that she was right. He would rather lose his virginity to someone he trusted. He would rather lose it to her than just some random girl. With Leila, he knew it would have meaning. She was his best friend and he trusted her. She treated him right and he knew that even if he was terrible, it wouldn't matter to her and she wouldn't make fun of him._

_Slowly, taking his time, Greg leaned forward and took hold of Leila's lips with his own. It felt so right for some reason. He couldn't explain why and he wasn't sure that he wanted to. Their kissing slowly sped up and became passionate as Leila forced Greg onto his back, careful not to break the kiss._

_Some time later found the two best friends lying side by side with only the bed sheet covering them. They both stared up at the ceiling, smiles on their faces but Greg was the one who looked as though he was floating on cloud nine. _

_"So, how'd I do?" asked Greg, turning his head to look at her._

_"You did really good. I mean, it wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. Trust me, I've had way worse. A lot worse actually." said Leila._

_"Way to boost a guy's confidence." said Greg sarcastically._

_"Hey, just because it wasn't great doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it." said Leila as she turned on her side and propped herself up on her elbow so she was looking down at him. "Besides, I'm sure you'll be great eventually. Just takes time. You're a really great guy Greg and anyone who doesn't love you for that is a fool."_

_"Thanks." said Greg as he stared her in the eyes, seeing the sincerity in them._

**End Flashback**

Leila was brought out of her reverie by fingers snapping in front of her face and someone speaking to her.

"Earth to Leila, you still there?"

Leila looked up at the owner of the fingers and saw that it was Greg.

"Sorry, I was thinking." she told him.

"About what?" asked Nick.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." said Leila.

"Well, as much as I'd love to see that, I think I'm gonna head home." said Catherine, getting up.

"Right behind you." said Warrick, standing as well and following Catherine out.

"When are those two gonna admit their feelings for each other and get it over with?" asked Leila.

Greg, Nick and Grissom looked at her, a mixture of amazement and bafflement on their faces. They didn't think that she would notice that on her first day.

"What? It's obvious they've danced around it for years. You can tell by the tension between them and the way that they look at each others." said Leila.

"What? You mean like you and Greg?" asked Nick.

"Difference is that Greg and I have admitted ours years ago." said Leila as she slipped her arm around Greg's shoulders. "Isn't that right Hojem?"

"Yes ma'am." said Greg.

"Okay, I've heard you call him Greg and I've heard you call him Sanders. But Hojem?" asked Nick.

"Yeah, I used to call him that all the time." said Leila.

"When, if I didn't give the right answer or the one that she wanted, she'd make me regret it." said Greg.

For this, Leila dug her nails into his side and squeezed, making him jump and whimper in pain.

"Ow! See? She's vicious." said Greg as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from his side.

"Anyway, I'm outta here." said Grissom as he got up.

"Yeah, me too. Later you two. Play nice now." said Nick as he followed Grissom, leaving Greg to try and fend off Leila's attacks.

"Would you stop!" said Greg, trying to sound serious but he couldn't hide the smile on his face as he stopped her from grabbing his sides again.

"No. I've having fun." said Leila as one hand went for his side again, which he deflected but the other hand dove in and grabbed his crotch firmly but gently, making him gasp and jump in surprise. She started to palm him through his jeans, making him moan.

Greg was a bit shocked when Leila grabbed him. He couldn't say that he didn't want it but as he took hold of her wrist and moved her hand away, he could see the disappointment in her eyes but he felt that things were moving too fast right now.

"Lei, I'm sorry but we can't. It's just too fast. We haven't seen each other in ten years. And it's not that I don't want you, 'cause I do. I just don't want us to move too fast and regret it later." said Greg. He went to say more but Leila placed a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him.

"It's okay, I understand." said Leila as Greg continued to hold onto the hand that she used to grab his crotch. With her other hand, she reached up and touched the side of his face as she rested her forehead against his, watching as he closed his eyes and she closed hers as well.

The two of them stayed like this for what felt like forever. Over the past ten years that they had been separated, they had felt every minute of their time apart. Back when they had met in college and everyday after, they had been inseparable. At least, they had been up until the day that they had gone their separate ways. Greg still wasn't even sure why that was but that didn't even matter to him anymore. All that mattered to him was that he and Leila were together again and he vowed that he was never going to let her out of his sight again. He was going to make sure that they were inseparable again.

"You got a place to stay?" asked Greg.

"Yeah, in my car. I just got here this morning, haven't had a chance to secure a residence." said Leila.

"Stay with me tonight. I'll help you find a place our next day off." said Greg.

"Okay." said Leila.

Greg took Leila by the hand and led her out of the diner, over to his car, helping her in and than driving to his apartment.

"You'll have to excuse the mess. I wasn't exactly expecting company." said Greg.

"It's fine. Better than your dorm room was." said Leila.

"Uh, don't remind me. There's some things from then that I would rather forget." said Greg.

"Like your taste in women?" asked Leila.

"For starters, yes but not all of them. Just the ones that weren't you." said Greg, staring over at her.

Leila couldn't help but smile and even blush a little.

Greg started to move away but Leila stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned back to her to see her staring at him with lust-filled eyes.

"Come here." she whispered, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him to her than pulling him down until his lips found hers.

Greg found that he couldn't stop himself from kissing her now even if he wanted to and he most certainly didn't want to. He pinned her back against the wall, kissing her feverishly.

"Is this too fast?" asked Leila between kisses.

"No." was all Greg said before he picked her up, letting her wrap her legs around his waist and carried her to his bedroom, gently laying her on the bed than crawling up between her legs to lay on top of her, staring down into her eyes.

Leila stared up into Greg's eyes. She had always been able to lose herself in his eyes but never had the desire to find her way back. She wanted to stay lost in his beautiful brown eyes forever. She always said that he had the type of eyes that could hypnotize you without trying. And she knew it all too well from experience.

Gripping the back of his shoulders, Leila pulled herself up to reclaim Greg's mouth with hers. Greg didn't even protest. In fact, doing the opposite as he slipped his tongue between her lips, causing her to moan into his mouth as he felt her nails digging into his back through his shirt as she pulled herself impossibly closer and deepening the kiss, craving more but she was willing to respect that Greg didn't want things too fast.

The two of them must have spent at least some time making out before they finally stopped, out of breath, and went to sleep.


	2. Can't Hold Out Any Longer

The next day when Greg and Leila went in for their shift, they felt the weight of their lack of sleep but they also felt as though they were walking on cloud nine. They headed into the locker room where they saw Nick and Warrick already in there, talking as they stood at their lockers. When Greg and Leila walked in, their attention turned on them.

"Well well, what'd you two love birds do last night after everyone left the diner? Nicky tells me that you were all over Greggo after Cath and I left Leila." said Warrick.

"I was not all over him. I pinched his side 'cause he said something I didn't like. Like this." said Leila, grabbing his side and squeezing like she had last night.

"Hey!" exclaimed Greg as he grabbed her wrist and removed her hand while Nick and Warrick laughed at him. "Don't start that again Tompkins. Don't you have someone else you can torment other than me?"

"Nope. Besides, you're fun to pick on Sanders." said Leila.

"You know, there is someone else you could torture. Might not be as fun as Greggo here but I'm sure you'd find it amusing." said Nick.

"Really? And who might that be?" asked Leila.

"Hodges." said Nick and Warrick at the same time.

"You mean the guy in Trace?" asked Leila.

"Yep. Guy's an ass." said Warrick.

"And an arrogant ass at that. Not to mention he's always kissing ass to Ecklie or Grissom." said Nick.

"Really?" asked Leila, grinning mischievously and a glint in eyes.

"Uh oh. Hodges better watch his back." said Greg, knowing what that grin meant and anyone it was meant for was in deep trouble.

Right then, Grissom walked in and stood in the doorway.

"Greg, Leila, how's your guy's decomp coming?" he asked.

"Eh, slowly." said Leila.

"Good. 'Cause you two have another one." said Grissom, handing an assignment slip to Leila.

"Griss, come on. Can't you give it to someone else? Give it to these two goons back here." said Leila, pointing to Nick and Warrick.

"Can't. They already have a case with Catherine." said Grissom.

"You must really hate us." said Leila.

"Nope." said Grissom.

"Then you just want to torment us 'til we go insane." said Leila.

"Mm, I wouldn't say that." said Grissom, giving them a small smile before walking away.

"I'm gonna get him back for this. And you're doing the dirty work this time." said Leila, thrusting the paper into Greg's chest. She could still hear Nick and Warrick laughing behind her. She turned to them. "And you two'll be next."

This made them stop laughing but it didn't wipe the grins off their faces.

"Come on, let's get this over with so we can get back here so I can take a shower since I'll be the one smelling of decomp." said Greg, leading the way out.

When they got to their scene, they could see Brass and David already there waiting. Greg parked and the two got out, walking over to where Brass and David stood with the body.

"Lady walking her dog found the body. Said her dog started going nuts when he smelled something. She let the dog lead her to the smell and that's when she found the body. She immediately dialed 9-1-1." said Brass.

"Body's been here at least a couple of weeks. COD appears to be the same as the first decomp." said David.

"Except our first decomp, he was dead at least a month. This one's only been here a couple weeks. I don't know, something about this doesn't feel right." said Leila.

"Captain Brass! You might wanna come see this! We found something!" yelled one of the deputy's off in the distance.

Brass headed over to the deputy with Greg and Leila following behind him while David stayed with the body. When the three of them reached the deputy, they saw him standing over a body, this one appearing to be more recent.

"We've got a fresh one." said the deputy.

They stared down in disbelief at the new body. Leila's instincts had been right, something wasn't right. It looked as though, on her first week, they had a serial killer on their hands.

Greg and Leila stood in the layout room with their photos layed out on the table in front of them along with three files.

"According to Doc Robbins' reports, victim number one whom was identified in missing persons as Daniel McGregors, age 30, had been dead a month at least from possible blunt force trauma. His girlfriend reported him missing three months ago but police couldn't find nothing to give them a lead so the search was called off. Parents died in a car accident when he was little and he had no other next of kin listed." said Greg.

"And our second vic, identified as James Petterson, age 32, was also reported missing by his girlfriend, only he went missing two months ago. Parents live in Europe and they don't keep in contact, had an older brother who died of cancer last year. Guy had no luck. Been dead at least a month, same as our first victim." said Leila.

"Last but not least, our third victim who was identified by Mandy from his fingerprints as William Jeffersan, also 32. No missing persons report was filed. Death was a month ago, same as the other two." said Greg.

"And that's not the worst of it." said Doc Robbins as he walked into the layout room.

"Pile it on Doc." said Leila.

"Well, all three victims, they did not die from the blows to the head. My guess is, those were just used to knock them out when they were taken but I could be wrong. Henry's running a tox panel on all three now." said Robbins.

"Thanks Doc." said Leila.

"That's not all. Upon further examination, found anal tearing on your first and your third vic. The semen I found in McGregors matched that of William Jeffersan and the semen I found in Jeffersan matched Daniel McGregors. And, I don't think that it was consensual." said Robbins.

"They were forced to rape each other?" asked Greg, shocked and appalled at the same time.

"Unfortunately, I believe so." said Robbins.

"What about James Petterson?" asked Leila.

"Nothing. No anal tearing, no semen, no signs of any sexual assault." said Robbins.

"So, why were McGregors and Jeffersan made to rape the other but Petterson wasn't touched?" asked Greg, looking over at Leila.

"Maybe the other two were more submissive and co-operative than he was willing to be. Maybe he fought back when his captor tried." suggested Leila.

"Guess you'll have to ask your suspect that question when you catch him." said Robbins.

"What makes you think that it's a man? It could just as easily be a woman." said Leila.

"Oh yeah? How so?" asked Greg curiously.

"Well, for starters, look at the head wounds. We assumed that they were the cause of death but look at how shallow they are. Not enough damage to kill anyone or cause any sufficient damage." said Leila.

"So? A guy without much physical strength could do that." said Greg.

"True but these guys were held at least a couple months. Why would a guy keep three other men that long, plus have two of them to rape each other?" asked Leila.

"Maybe he gets off on it." said Greg.

Doc Robbins just stood back and watched, amused watching these two debate with a smile on his face. He was feeling entertained.

"Maybe but I doubt it. If he did, he'd have wanted in on the action. And he would've forced James Petterson to submit. I'm telling you, our suspect is female." said Leila.

"If you say so." said Greg, knowing better than to continue arguing with her. He knew that she wouldn't quit until she won.

"Who was the submissive one back in college?" countered Leila.

Greg said nothing, just stared back at her, softly glaring.

Doc Robbins decided it best to take this opportunity to turn and leave, heading back to the morgue.

"Just because you got me to submit in college doesn't mean that you could now. I was inexperienced back then, you volunteered to be my teacher so to speak and I was the over-willing to learn student." said Greg.

"So to speak. And that sounds like a challenge Hojem." said Leila.

"Maybe it is Rosanne." said Greg.

"Well, in that case, you are so on." said Leila.

By the time they even had time for a break toward the end of their shift, they had little to go on. Their killer was obviously smart. The press had already heard of the serial and they had already dubbed him/her as the Male Killer since all the victims were male. Neither Leila or Greg could say they were surprised. They were still waiting on the tox results and Brass was trying to track down the girlfriends of the first two victims. He had managed to find James Petterson's parents but they had nothing to say. Nothing that was helpful to them anyway.

Leila sat down at the table while Greg fixed them a cup of coffee, setting one down in front of Leila as he sat down next to her.

Right then, as if on que or something, Henry walked into the break room with a file in hand.

"Okay, I have your tox results. All three of your vics had high levels of Ephedrine in their systems, lethal levels." said Henry.

"Herbal Ecstasy. Is that what killed them?" asked Leila.

"Most likely, yes. I also found something else in the systems of Daniel McGregor and William Jefferson. Gamma-Hydroxybutric Acid." said Henry.

"GHB. Most likely what was used to make them rape each other. It would make them more submissive for the other." said Greg.

"Some of the side effects of GHB is fatal respiratory problems, vomiting, tremors, liver failure, seizures and even comas. It could have contributed to their deaths." said Henry.

"I doubt it. James Petterson wasn't raped so I don't think there'd be any GHB in his system." said Leila.

"No, he didn't but he did have something else in his system. Flunitrazepam." said Henry, handing her the file.

"Rohypnol, also known as a roofie." said Leila, looking at the file.

"So, if he had rohypnol in him, why wasn't he raped like the other two?" questioned Greg.

Leila suddenly looked thoughtful.

"Maybe he was, just not the same as McGregors or Jeffersan." she said.

"Then how?" asked Greg.

Leila said nothing as she set down the file and got up, heading out of the break room and down the hall.

Greg and Henry looked at each other confused before Greg got up and followed after her as she headed toward the morgue.

Leila walked into the morgue where she found David.

"Hey Dave, I need you to check Mr. Petterson for vaginal fluid." said Leila as Greg came in behind her.

"Sure. Where?" asked David.

"Where do you think?" asked Leila rhetorically.

David opened the drawer and pulled out James Petterson. He pulled down the sheet, grabbed the ALS light and shined it on James Petterson's genitals.

Leila smiled proudly at herself.

"How'd you know?" asked David.

"Woman's intuition. Make sure you get a sample to DNA so Wendy can run it." said Leila.

"You got it." said David.

Leila headed back out of the morgue with Greg right on her heels.

"You got lucky." said Greg.

"No I didn't. Trust me, killer's female." said Leila.

"Whatever." said Greg, walking in stride beside her.

"Alright, you'll see Hojem. I'm right." said Leila.

"Your second day and you're already getting cocky." said Greg.

"Nah, I'm just good. I've been doing this for six years and you've been doing it, what? Five years? And before that you were a DNA tech for four years. Should've stayed there." said Leila.

"Ha ha." said Greg, faking amusement. "I think I'm wounded by that remark Tompkins."

Leila smiled at him than after a minute she turned suddenly serious.

"Hey Greg, there something about our vics that's been bothering me." said Leila as they walked into the locker room.

"I know." said Greg.

"You noticed too." said Leila.

"Brown hair, brown eyes, earlier 30's, just under 6 feet tall. Yeah, I noticed. Don't worry, no woman had my eye but you. You've had it since college." said Greg.

"You know, if I would've known you were in Vegas, I would've been here sooner." said Leila, smiling as she leaned back against her locker.

Greg smiled back, his hand coming up to rest on the side of her face while the other settled on her hip.

"I want you Leila. I wanna take you right here, right now." he whispered.

"Thought you didn't wanna move too fast?" asked Leila.

"I can't hold out any longer." said Greg in a low, husky voice, his lips near her neck but not touching.

Leila had to close her eyes as she felt Greg's breath on her neck and lips so close to touching.

"I've held out for ten years, I don't want to wait another day. I need you now Leila." said Greg against her skin.

The door to Greg's apartment burst open, Greg and Leila stumbling in with lips locked and hands seeking skin. Greg forced Leila back against the door, making it slam shut. Leila hurriedly undid the buttons of his shirt and pushed it off, letting it fall to the floor. Greg pulled her shirt off before quickly reclaiming her lips. Just as he did the first night, he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his hips and he carried her to the bedroom, laying her down on the bed and he came down with her, laying on top of her.

Moments later found them both completely naked, Greg trailing kisses down her chest and stomach before reaching his goal that lay between her legs. He used his tongue to lick her there, making her gasp and arch her hips. He carefully licked, sucked and nipped, his tongue thrusting in and out of her. He wanted to hear her beg for what she really wanted.

Leila wasn't sure how much more she could take. Greg was driving her crazy with just his mouth. She could only imagine what the rest of him could do but she didn't want to imagine, she wanted to know. She wanted to feel it, wanted to experience it. Then when Greg stuck two fingers inside her to join his tongue, she thought she was going to explode right then.

"Oh God Greg! Oh feels so good." she moaned.

Greg sped up the thrusting of his fingers, driving them deeper and scissoring them inside of her.

"Oh Greg, please." begged Leila.

"Please what?" asked Greg as he moved back up to kiss her stomach. "Tell me Lei, tell me what you want."

"I want..you inside me. I need you..inside me. Please Greg." pleaded Leila, her breathing heavy.

Greg removed his fingers and moved back up to kiss her lips. She could taste herself on him, especially when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She could feel his rock hard cock rub against her and couldn't surpress a moan at the contact. She arched her hips up, trying to cause more friction between them but Greg denied it to her. She growled in frustration, reaching down to grab his hips but he grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head and lacing his fingers with hers.

"Relax baby, we have all the time we need." said Greg as he moved to kiss her neck.

"Greg please. I can't wait any longer. Please don't make me beg anymore." said Leila, her breath coming in pants.

Greg nipped her neck and he felt her squeeze his hands as she gasped in response. Releasing one of her hands, he reached down between them and rubbing the tip of his cock against her wet entrance.

"Damn it Greg, stop teasing me." said Leila, gasping when he rubbed the tip of his cock harder against her. "Oh you're such an ass."

Knowing he would regret it later if he kept going the route he was going, Greg moved his hand from between them to lay her and slowly entered her. He paused for a moment before setting a steady pace as he thrust in and out of her.

"Oh Greg, oh this is so much better than I remember." moaned Leila, her hands gripping the back of his shoulders.

Greg reached down and grabbed her leg, bringing it up to his hip as he thrust into her harder and faster, making her moan louder. He could feel her nails digging into his skin enough to leave marks but he didn't care.

"Oh Greg, harder. Make me come for you, I wanna come for you Greg. Please." moaned Leila.

Greg happily oblidged, increasing his pace and pushing her into the mattress as he thrust in and out of her as hard and as fast as he could, making her practically scream his name and his moans were just as loud as hers. He could feel himself ready to explode but he held himself back, wanting her to be first.

Leila cried out Greg's name as she arched into him as she came, milking him into his own as he cried out her name before collapsing on top of her, burying his face in her neck as he tried to catch his breath.

"That was amazing." said Leila, her hands still on the back of his shoulders but her nails weren't digging his skin.

"Thanks." mumbled Greg.

"I told you that you would be some day." said Leila.

"No, you said I'd be great." said Greg.

"Okay, so you exceeded my expectations. You should be proud of yourself." said Leila.

"I am." mumbled Greg. He sounded like he was falling asleep.

"You okay?" asked Leila.

"Tired." said Greg.

"So go to sleep." said Leila.

"Don't wanna fall asleep on you." said Greg.

"So get off of me." said Leila.

"Can't. Don't have the energy." said Greg.

"Go to sleep then. I'll let you sleep on me, but just this once." said Leila.

Greg moaned his response, which showed he was almost asleep.

Leila smiled. She somehow managed to get the blanket up over both of them than she soon joined Greg, still holding him in her arms.


	3. Author's Note

**~Author's Note:**_ Sorry to have to tell you this folks but I may just have to put this on hold for a while. I'm going to be going to the Dayton Job Corp Center(.gov for info) and I won't be able to update for awhile. Sorry. But I will start updating again as soon as I can. I promise. I won't leave you guys hanging.  
_


	4. The First Suspect

Leila woke up hours later to find Greg laying beside her, his back to her. He had obviously woken up and climbed off of her while she was sleeping. She couldn't help but smile happily at the man lying next to her. She knew that she was in love, and that she was in love with Greg, she had been since college but just didn't have the guts to tell Greg herself.

Leila noticed the scars on Greg's back and found her fingers touching them, tracing them with feather light touches. She wondered how he had gotten them.

"Lab explosion." came Greg's voice suddenly.

"Hey, you're awake." said Leila, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around him, placing a soft kiss on his shoulder.

"I've been awake." said Greg.

"Uh huh, whatever you say darling." said Leila.

"I have. I just didn't want to leave the bed with such a beautiful woman lying next to me." said Greg as he turned onto his back so he was looking at her.

"You always were sweet. You even taste sweet." said Leila as she leaned down and kissed him. "You're an amazing man. Any girl should consider themselves lucky to be with you."

"Guess that would mean that you do then." said Greg.

"Oh I consider myself more than lucky. I just wish I'd have realized what I could've had sooner." said Leila.

"So, just out of curiosity, what about me do you find amazing?" asked Greg, trying to keep her mind off the past and make her smile.

"I really don't feel like feeding your ego." said Leila.

"Ah come on, just give me a few examples than I'll leave you alone." said Greg.

"Alright, fine, I'll humor you. Well, for starters, you have the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen. A girl could really lose herself in them." said Leila, touching just below his eye and he didn't even blink. "Then there is your lips." She ran her thumb over his bottom lip. "I just want to kiss them all day long. Your smile could light up any room and when you smile, it makes me smile. And then there's your skin. Most guys I know, theirs is rough to the touch but yours is so soft and smooth." she said as her hand gently ran across his chest. Her eyes found his and she held his gaze.

"I love everything about you Greg. Like I said, any woman should consider herself lucky to have you and right now, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. This feels like a dream and if it is, I don't want to ever wake up." said Leila.

"It's no dream Leila." said Greg as his hand moved to the side of her face. "This is real. I'm here and I'm real. All this is real, as real as it will ever get. And will always be real. I've waited for you to come back to me for ten years. I've waited for this moment since our first time in college."

"I have too. I almost can't believe this is real, but I can know it is. I can see you, I can feel you lying next to me, and I can feel you under my touch. And now that I have you, I don't want to ever lose you." said Leila.

"You won't. I'll always be right here, with you. We're here, together. I'll never leave Lei. I love you." said Greg.

"I love you too. God, it feels so good to finally say it. And you know what, I just realized something." said Leila.

"What's that?" asked Greg, his hand gently caressing the arm draped across his chest.

"I'm hungry." said Leila, making them both laugh. She started to get up but Greg held onto her arm, stopping her.

"No, let's just order something." said Greg.

"One of us will still have to get up and answer the door." said Leila.

Greg groaned, knowing that she was right.

Leila couldn't help but laugh at him. He was still just as cute as he was back in college and she had a feeling that he always would be.

Before going in for shift, Leila and Greg took a shower together, figuring it would be quicker. They checked in to see if there was anything on the vaginal fluid from their victim in DNA.

"You guys are just in time. I just got the results. Your vaginal fluid belongs to a Monica Summerson. She has a couple priors for solicitation and domestic violence. She lives in Loftland." said the DNA tech.

"Thanks." said Leila, feeling more confident than she had yesterday. It was evident by the smirk on her face as she looked at Greg.

"Guess you were right. Let's go talk to Brass." said Greg, leading the way out of the DNA lab, holding the door open for Leila.

They called Brass, telling him about what they had found and Brass secured them a warrant to search Monica Summerson's home even if she was to refuse to let them do so herself. Now, they stood with Brass and several uniformed officers in front of their suspect's house. Brass carefully knocked on the front door.

"Monica Summerson, open up! This is the Las Vegas Police Department! We have a warrant to search the premises!" said Brass.

No one answered. Brass drew his weapon and the other officers followed his lead, as well as did Leila and Greg. He signaled for two officers to go around to the back to make sure she didn't come out that way.

Brass knocked again and still there was no answer at the door. He nodded at his officers before busting open the door, he and the officers moving in to clear the house while Leila and Greg stood back and waited outside, pointing their guns down at the ground. They could hear Brass and the other officers moving around inside, going from room to room, clearing each one.

Just then, Leila heard noise coming from the garage and she started moving toward it. When she drew nearer to it, she realized what the noise she was hearing and quickly dove out of the way; throwing herself to the ground just as a car came crashing through the garage door. She heard Greg call her name. The car didn't get far as it crashed into one of the police cruisers parked at the end of the driveway.

Brass and the officers came running out of the house at the sound of the crash and were quickly on the woman in the car, pulling her out and handcuffing her. Greg rushed to Leila's side.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." said Leila as she watched the woman trying to struggle as two officers led her to another cruiser and put her in.

Brass came walking back over, putting away his gun as he walked.

"You okay Leila?" he asked.

"Yeah." said Leila.

"Okay, well we'll get her down to PD. You guys should go ahead and get started on processing the house. I'll get the car towed to the lab, and I'll leave an officer posted outside just in case." said Brass.

Greg and Leila grabbed their kits and than, taking out their flashlights and turning them on, headed into the house. The blinds were shut and the curtains closed, making the house dark, even in early daylight.

"I'll take upstairs." said Greg, making his way to the staircase.

Leila started in the living room, which held nothing of use, than she moved from room to room, processing the den, the kitchen, the downstairs bathroom, and then finally made her way to the last room. It appeared to be an office. It had a computer sitting on a desk with a laptop attached. There were a couple tables, a small couch and a small filing cabinet. She set her kit on the desk than got to work. She tried the filing cabinet first only to find it locked. She then checked the computer desk, finding some flash drives in one of the drawers. She took them, figuring Archie could check them out.

Hearing a noise behind her, she turned around to see Greg coming in.

"Hey, any luck?" he asked her.

"Not exactly. Found a few flash drives, gonna see if Archie can find something on them. I'll take the lap top and computer back to him as well. Filing cabinet's locked. Got nothing from the other rooms. What about you?" asked Leila.

Greg held up a bag with three unmarked pill bottles in it.

"Three guesses what could possibly be in here." he said as though he already knew.

"Ephedrine, rohypnol and GHB. Have to get Henry to confirm though." said Leila, leaning back against the computer desk. She bumped the mouse and the screen lit up.

When Greg and Leila looked, they saw themselves on the screen. It was a video taken of them at the crime scene of their first victim.

"She's been watching us." said Greg.

They got everything back to the lab than Greg went to process the car while Leila headed to join Brass at PD outside the interrogation room where their suspect sat.

"She have anything to say yet?" asked Leila, gazing in at the woman sitting calmly in the chair where an officer had sat her, one wrist handcuffed to the desk.

"Not a word since we brought her in. She had a lot to say on the ride over though according to the officer who brought her in." said Brass.

"Let's see if she has anything to say now." said Leila, heading into the interrogation room with Brass.

"Miss Summerson, I'm Captain Brass, this is Leila Tompkins from the crime lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions." said Brass.

Leila took photos of their three victims out of the folder she had with her and laid them on the table in front of their suspect.

"Miss Summerson, do you recognize any of these men?" asked Leila.

"Never seen them before." said Monica calmly, barely glancing at the photos.

"Are you sure?" asked Leila.

Monica just stared back at her with a calm, blank stare.

"Care to explain then how **your** DNA ended up on one of these men?" asked Brass.

"I have no idea. I have a lot of one night stands. I'm not into the whole dating thing." said Monica.

"We didn't even tell you where your DNA was located on the victim." said Brass.

Monica didn't even flinch at the fact that she had been asked a trick question.

"And of course you're not into the whole dating thing. You have a few priors for soliciting and domestic violence." said Brass.

"I was officially cleared of those." said Monica.

"Not all. You served a little time for one domestic violence charge." said Leila.

"That one was a misunderstanding." said Monica.

"Right, I'm sure it was. We have a lot of those." said Brass, clearly not believing her.

"Why don't you explain it to us so we can understand and maybe do something about it." said Leila, trying to bait her.

"I don't have to explain anything to you. I don't care if any of you understand. And there is nothing that can be done. I spent days in jail, days of my life that I will _never_ get back." said Monica.

"Hey, behave missy or I'll have you put back in your little holding cell 'til you are ready to cooperate." said Brass.

Monica remained silent but there was a fire in her eyes.

"Miss Summerson, why do you have video of one of my colleagues and I at a crime scene on your computer?" asked Leila.

"A friend sent it to me." said Monica.

"Does this friend have a name by chance?" asked Brass.

"Yes, but I'm not going to tell you." said Monica.

Right then, Greg walked in with a folder in hand. He walked over to Leila and knelt beside her. They spoke in low tones so that Monica couldn't hear.

"Found all three vic's blood in her car." said Greg, showing her the results sheet in the folder before standing back up.

Leila looked at Monica, who appeared to be too calm for her comfort.

"Miss Summerson, you say that you don't know any of these men, despite your DNA found on one, correct?" said Leila.

"Yes, that's what I told you." said Monica, a slight edge to her voice.

"Then how do you explain _their_ blood in _your_ car?" asked Greg, laying the DNA results on the table in front of Monica.

"Maybe you put it there." said Monica.

"Alright, let's quit playing games. Why don't you just admit it, you killed these guys. You drugged and raped James Petterson. You drugged William Jefferson and Daniel McGregors, forced them to have sex with each other and then you murdered all three." said Brass, putting pressure on her to get her to cave.

"We found the drugs you used in your house. Our toxicology tech confirmed it himself." said Greg.

"Plus the blood in your car and your DNA on one of our vics. The evidence we have is all against you." said Leila.

"Yes, I drugged them and yes, I raped James Petterson but I didn't kill any of them. **She** did." said Monica. Her attention moved to Greg. "And she's coming for you. You're the one she really wants."

"Who? Give us a name." said Brass.

Monica remained silent.

Brass signaled for an officer to come in and take her.

"Maybe some time in a cell will change your mind." he said as the officer led Monica out of the interrogation room.

"I don't think she did it." said Leila.

"You heard her as well as we did Leila. She confessed to drugging all three and raping Petterson." said Brass.

"I know but I don't think she killed them. I think she was just an accomplice. She was too calm through the interrogation." said Leila.

"So there could be someone else out there." said Greg.

"Yeah, but how do we find them? All the evidence we have points straight to Monica." said Leila.


	5. A Glance Into the Past

_Leila sat outside with her best friend, Greg Sanders and some of their friends. They were enjoying a nice day and a day off from classes. The holidays were coming up and most of the students were making plans to go home. Leila and Greg lived close to each other so Greg had asked him mom if Leila could just catch a ride with them when she picked him up and she had agreed since Leila and Greg had grown up together. They had known each other since birth since Greg's mom used to babysit Leila a lot because her parents were always working. At least that's what her parents would tell Mrs. Sanders, but Leila knew different. Even Greg now knew that wasn't true._

_Being her best friend, Leila never kept any secrets from Greg. She told him everything about her life. Her parents weren't always working when they would drop her off with Greg's mother, they just said that so they could go out and do whatever they wanted like partying. They were never abusive toward her, at least not physically but they were mentally, emotionally. They were always putting her down, blaming her for everything even if it wasn't her fault. Greg had heard some of the things they've said to her, but it never seemed to affect her much and she said that it was because she had him as a best friend. He wasn't sure what that meant but at the same time it made him feel good._

_Right now she and Greg were sitting on the grass, Leila lying on her back next to him with her head in lap. They were making plans for what they were going to do over the holidays so they wouldn't always be stuck at home, especially her._

"_So Leila, I hear that you and Greg are going home together." said their friend, Emily._

"_Not necessarily, his mom's just giving me a ride home." said Leila, grabbing a chip from the bag she and Greg were sharing._

"_Why doesn't your mother do that?" asked Emily._

"_She has other plans and she can't cancel them." lied Leila, even though she and Greg knew the truth. Greg was the only person she wanted to know the truth._

"_But you two are gonna be spending the holidays together." said their other friend, J.D._

"_Of course, isn't that what best friends do?" asked Greg._

"_Yeah, we all know you two will be doing more than just best friend activities." said J.D._

"_Shows what you know." said Leila, throwing a chip at J.D._

"_Yeah, we're not like that. We've grown up together, we know everything about each other, doesn't mean we're screwing each other." said Greg._

"_Yeah, well, I've never seen a couple of best friends act the way you two do towards each other. You guys must have a pretty close friendship." said Emily._

"_We do. Greg and I live just down the street from each other and I was always at his house when I was little. Him mom was my babysitter. And I guess in a way, she's also kind of adopted me as a second child." said Leila._

"_Well then I guess you guys would probably feel pretty awkward if you guys were to ever sleep together." said J.D._

"_Yeah, probably." said Greg, taking a chip that Leila offered to him._

_The holidays rolled up faster than anyone expected and the day came for students to go home. Greg and Leila were finishing up their packing and making sure they weren't forgetting anything they may need until they get back._

"_I'm not sure that I even want to go home." said Leila all of a sudden, breaking the silence._

"_You wanna just come home with me and stay?" asked Greg._

"_I don't know. I know my parents wouldn't even notice or miss me, but I'm not sure your mom would like that." said Leila._

"_Oh come on, you know my mom loves you. She'd be thrilled to have you there." said Greg._

"_I just don't want to impose on you guys." said Leila._

"_Lei, you know that you could never impose of us. We love it when you're there, we love having you there." said Greg. _

"_Greg, I don't know." said Leila._

"_Please Leila, I would feel so much better if you were staying with me." said Greg._

_Leila couldn't help but smile. No matter what, Greg always seemed to have a way of making her smile._

"_Alright, I'll come and stay with you." she said. She actually would make her feel better if she stayed with her best friend rather than going home._

"_Good, 'cause I wasn't having it any other way." Greg told her._

_Leila could only smile over at her best friend, feeling better at the prospect of staying with people she had come to trust with her life._

_Then suddenly it was time for Greg's mom to pick them up and they found themselves in the car heading home. Greg had already talked to his mom about Leila staying with them and even though his mom wanted her to stay too, she had made plans for just her and Greg. Leila was sad about having to go home but she also didn't want to intrude on the plans that Mrs. Sanders had made for her and her son. She could tell Greg was upset about it too, but he was trying not to show it._

_Both friends stared out the window as Mrs. Sanders drove. Not much was said by anyone. Leila was nervous about what would happen with her parents when she walked through the door, and she knew that Greg was worried as well. A person could only be pushed so far before they reached their breaking point. Hopefully that would not happen when Leila got home._

_Suddenly, Leila felt a hand on her own and she looked over to see that Greg was holding her hand as he stared over at her. She offered the best, small encouraging smile that she could manage, but she knew that it did nothing to comfort either one of them._

_Once they reached Leila's house, she hesitantly got out of the car and Greg even got out as well, helping her get her stuff out of the trunk. They got all her stuff up on to the porch than Greg walked down to the car and Leila followed._

"_Listen, if you need anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate to call or come to the house. You're my best friend and I'm always here for you." said Greg._

"_I know and don't worry, if I need anything you'll be the first to know. But please, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." said Leila._

"_I can't help it, like I said you're my best friend and that means that I worry. I just wanna know that you're safe." said Greg._

"_And I wouldn't ask anything different." said Leila, managing the best smile she could muster._

_Greg smiled in return, hoping that it would help make her feel better._

"_Greg honey, come on, we gotta go." said Mrs. Sanders._

_Leila could tell by the look on his face that Greg did not want to leave her. Truthfully she didn't want him to leave either but his mom had made plans and she knew that he should spend some time with his mom before her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She felt his arms almost hesitantly wrap around her, hugging her a little tighter._

"_Go; spend some time with your mom. I'll be right here when you get back, I'm not going anywhere." said Leila._

"_Alright, but I'm coming back here to get you later and I don't care how late it is." said Greg._

"_I'll be here waiting." Leila whispered to him, feeling his arms hug her tightly. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, fearing it might be the last time. "Just don't keep me waiting too long." she added._

"_I won't, I promise." Greg whispered back._


	6. Memories

_Leila sat outside with her best friend, Greg Sanders and some of their friends. They were enjoying a nice day and a day off from classes. The holidays were coming up and most of the students were making plans to go home. _

_Being her best friend, Leila never kept any secrets from Greg. She told him everything about her life. Her parents were never abusive toward her, at least not physically but they were mentally, emotionally. They were always putting her down, blaming her for everything even if it wasn't her fault. Greg had heard some of the things they've said to her, but it never seemed to affect her much and she said that it was because she had him as a best friend. He wasn't sure what that meant but at the same time it made him feel good._

_Right now she and Greg were sitting on the grass, Leila lying on her back next to him with her head in lap. They were making plans for what they were going to do over the holidays so they wouldn't always be stuck at home, especially her._

"_So Leila, I hear that you and Greg are going home together." said their friend, Emily._

"_Not necessarily, his mom's just giving me a ride home." said Leila, grabbing a chip from the bag she and Greg were sharing._

"_Why doesn't your mother do that?" asked Emily._

"_She has other plans and she can't cancel them." lied Leila, even though she and Greg knew the truth. Greg was the only person she wanted to know the truth._

"_But you two are gonna be spending the holidays together." said their other friend, J.D._

"_Of course, isn't that what best friends do?" asked Greg._

"_Yeah, we all know you two will be doing more than just best friend activities." said J.D._

"_Shows what you know." said Leila, throwing a chip at J.D._

"_Yeah, we're not like that. We know everything about each other, doesn't mean we're screwing each other." said Greg._

"_Yeah, well, I've never seen a couple of best friends act the way you two do towards each other. You guys must have a pretty close friendship." said Emily._

"_We do." said Leila._

"_Well then I guess you guys would probably feel pretty awkward if you guys were to ever sleep together." said J.D._

"_Yeah, probably." said Greg, taking a chip that Leila offered to him._

_The holidays rolled up faster than anyone expected and the day came for students to go home. Greg and Leila were finishing up their packing and making sure they weren't forgetting anything they may need until they get back._

"_I'm not sure that I even want to go home." said Leila all of a sudden, breaking the silence._

"_You wanna just come home with me and stay?" asked Greg._

"_I don't know. I know my parents wouldn't even notice or miss me, but I'm not sure your mom would like that." said Leila._

"_Oh come on, you know my mom loves you. She'd be thrilled to have you there." said Greg._

"_I just don't want to impose on you guys." said Leila._

"_Lei, you know that you could never impose of us. We love it when you're there, we love having you there." said Greg. _

"_Greg, I don't know." said Leila._

"_Please Leila, I would feel so much better if you were staying with me." said Greg._

_Leila couldn't help but smile. No matter what, Greg always seemed to have a way of making her smile._

"_Alright, I'll come and stay with you." she said. She actually would make her feel better if she stayed with her best friend rather than going home._

"_Good, 'cause I wasn't having it any other way." Greg told her._

_Leila could only smile over at her best friend, feeling better at the prospect of staying with people she had come to trust with her life._

_Then suddenly it was time for Greg's mom to pick them up and they found themselves in the car heading home. Greg had already talked to his mom about Leila staying with them and even though his mom wanted her to stay too, she had made plans for just her and Greg. Leila was sad about having to go home but she also didn't want to intrude on the plans that Mrs. Sanders had made for her and her son. She could tell Greg was upset about it too, but he was trying not to show it._

_Both friends stared out the window as Mrs. Sanders drove. Not much was said by anyone. Leila was nervous about what would happen with her parents when she walked through the door, and she knew that Greg was worried as well. A person could only be pushed so far before they reached their breaking point. Hopefully that would not happen when Leila got home._

_Suddenly, Leila felt a hand on her own and she looked over to see that Greg was holding her hand as he stared over at her. She offered the best, small encouraging smile that she could manage, but she knew that it did nothing to comfort either one of them._

_Once they reached Leila's house, she hesitantly got out of the car and Greg even got out as well, helping her get her stuff out of the trunk. They got all her stuff up on to the porch than Greg walked down to the car and Leila followed._

"_Listen, if you need anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate to call or come to the house. You're my best friend and I'm always here for you." said Greg._

"_I know and don't worry, if I need anything you'll be the first to know. But please, don't worry about me, I'll be fine." said Leila._

"_I can't help it, like I said you're my best friend and that means that I worry. I just wanna know that you're safe." said Greg._

"_And I wouldn't ask anything different." said Leila, managing the best smile she could muster._

_Greg smiled in return, hoping that it would help make her feel better._

"_Greg honey, come on, we gotta go." said Mrs. Sanders._

_Leila could tell by the look on his face that Greg did not want to leave her. Truthfully she didn't want him to leave either but his mom had made plans and she knew that he should spend some time with his mom before her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She felt his arms almost hesitantly wrap around her, hugging her a little tighter._

"_Go; spend some time with your mom. I'll be right here when you get back, I'm not going anywhere." said Leila._

"_Alright, but I'm coming back here to get you later and I don't care how late it is." said Greg._

"_I'll be here waiting." Leila whispered to him, feeling his arms hug her tightly. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, fearing it might be the last time. "Just don't keep me waiting too long." she added._

"_I won't, I promise." Greg whispered back._

"Yet I was the one that kept you waiting. I took off for part unknown and kept you waiting for me for ten years, when I just suddenly show up to Vegas to work at the same crime lab you already worked at. It wasn't fair of me to do such a thing." said Leila.

She and Greg had been sitting at his place, talking about their college days and this was the one that came to Leila's mind first. She felt so guilty for leaving like she did, when she did without so much as saying goodbye.

"Why do you do this to yourself Leila?" asked Greg.

"Do what?" asked Leila.

"Blaming yourself for everything, especially when it was something that was out of your control. Don't you think your parents did that to you enough?" asked Greg.

"Come on, and you can't say that you didn't blame me at all at least once in the past ten years?" asked Leila.

"No, I never did. Sure, I was upset that you just took off without so much as telling why or even telling me goodbye, but never did I once blame you." said Greg.

Leila was actually taken aback a bit. She figured that over the years they had been apart that Greg would have blamed her for it, even be angry with her but in all actuality, he didn't. It did surprise her a little bit but not a whole lot. She could remember that there were only a few times that Greg had ever gotten angry with her, and he never stayed angry for very long.

"You know that it's not your fault, things just happen and it shouldn't matter anymore anyway. You're here now and that's the only thing that matters to me now, that should be all that matters to you too." said Greg.

"Yeah, you're right, as usual." said Leila, unable to keep from smiling. She watched as Greg smiled back than she cuddled up to him on the couch as they went back to watching the movie they'd been watching.


End file.
